the battle for the paddle. october 5.

It took me a little while to buck up the courage, but Michael finally helped/forced me to write an email to the editor of the L'Observateur to ask for another assignment, and the assignment I got was to go to an event we were already excited about going to already!

The Battle for the Paddle is the annual jambalaya and gumbo cook-off for St. Charles Parish under the West Bank Bridge. We met up with Andy, the Hall's, the Rich's, and the Guilfou's to enjoy the $5 you-can-eat-as-much-food-as-you-can-stuff-into-your-mouth. Well, if you really want, you can read my article that explains it a little better here (just accept my shameless plug). I even got in for free because the lady I was getting all my information for the article called me "press." Ha! I guess it's almost true, but it still seems deceitful because I don't have any idea what I'm doing with my little point-and-shoot and borrowed tape recorder.

And voila, my article appeared on the front page! The guy in the picture, Randy, works at Monsanto with David, one of the guys Michael shares an office building with. As soon I showed up to interview David, David brought Randy over saying, "Here. He'll talk your ear off." It's true. He was a hoot. The picture on the right is much more his personality than the one they put in the newspaper.

By the end of the interview, he was telling me about how he picks up roadkill along the side of the road on his way home from work if he didn't see it there on the way to work, and make jambalaya and gumbo out of it. I haven't laughed that hard in a long time. Truth be told, I wouldn't mind hanging out with slightly-drunk Cajuns more often ;)

And getting to eat some seriously good Cajun food.